How to Nail It As a New Leader

Making the jump to your first leadership job is one of the most stressful events in life. More than 87 percent of first-time leaders feel frustrated, anxious and uncertain about their new role. Frontline leaders lack confidence and effectiveness in many of the skills that companies view as the most critical in the next 3 years – digital literacy, leading virtual teams, and 360-degree thinking (adeptly integrating an ever-growing surge of information to make business decisions). Leadership learning is becoming more personalized, on-demand, and mobile-based. As a new leader, how can you navigate this complexity to shape your own learning path, and set the stage for your rapid career advancement?

Before Becoming a Leader

Leadership is not always a choice, but the choices you will face as a new leader can often be stressful, overwhelming or even - out of your control. Get an introduction to the basics of becoming a leader and explore the many facets of leadership to consider when you level up.

Practicing Your Leadership Skills

Practice makes perfect - and great leadership is no different. The resources in this section set you up for success by helping you develop and apply leadership skills to your daily life - with a focus on the impact your leadership approach and style can have on your team and organization.

Building Your Leadership Skills

As you become more comfortable in your frontline leadership role, start thinking about developing the skills you’ll need for your next leadership job and preparing for digital transformation. Learn how with resources that focus on honing your leadership skills, approach, and mindset for the challenges you face today - and those you will face in the future.

Evan Sinar, PhD is Chief Scientist and a Vice President at DDI. He designs and executes analytics linking leadership programs to business outcomes and produces actionable insights about talent trends and practices, including leading DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast and High-Resolution Leadership research programs. He is a top influencer for leadership development, analytics, data visualization, and people science, frequently authoring on these topics for conferences and publications.